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Cleaning a rusty table saw top

I just picked up a nice old Atlas table saw with a cast iron top. It has minor surface rust across the top, but not to the point of pitting. I would like to clean it up and I've been looking at suggestions on the best recommendations. It seems there are as many varying "opinions" on this topic as there are on beekeeping questions.

Has anyone done this with your cast iron equipment? What worked best for you?

Re: Cleaning a rusty table saw top

Depending on how bad it is rusted use medium to fine sand paper or steel wool with light oil or WD-40. Use a small stick cut to the proper size, and wrapped with sandpaper to clean the mortise slot. When you get it as slick as you want it, clean it with paint thinner. Wax immediately with your favorite wax. (If you wait a day or two it may be rusted again.) A spray wax (furniture polish) is good for the first application because it is thin and applies easily. It also can clean up any sanding residue you may have missed with the paint thinner. Use it liberally and wipe off the excess. Bees wax is good to rub on occasionally to keep the table slick.

Re: Cleaning a rusty table saw top

Re: Cleaning a rusty table saw top

Yea sand paper and WD-40. I've used an old 80ish grid belt sander belt that's broken and WD-40 to clean mine. If it sits for awhile between uses under a shed or somethin keep it kinda greasy with WD-40 or somethin.

Re: Cleaning a rusty table saw top

This involved hours of elbow grease, but I think it was worth it. The top is smooth as silk now.

First I used PB Penetrating Fluid with 150 grit sandpaper to work out most of the rust, followed with PB and Scotch Brite Pads. After cleaning thoroughly with mineral spirits everything was coated with an aerosol dry lubricant, then buffed. Not bad for a 60 year old machine. Time to start making some more boxes.

Re: Cleaning a rusty table saw top

I have a couple of old craftsman "100" table saws (one is for parts, but it wouldn't take much to put them both online)....both tables have a bit more than surface rust, but neither are too bad.
I come from a machine shop like d of background, and I hate the idea of doing anything that will compromise the flatness. I've been reading forums where such things are the main focus, and I have come away with these options (in evening order)

Green scrubby pad with solvent. I'm not too worried about losing flatness with this, but it also won't remove much material.

Abrasive stone. At least with this, and some finess you can remove material fairly evenly and maintain flatness.

Loose abrasive and a sheet of glass. This is flat over the whole surface, maintain flatness and removing material evenly. This requires a bit more setup (and materials I don't have on hand)....if I were going to do a full restoration of a nice saw from the ground up, I would probably do this.

I also noticed the cook at the local diner was cleaning the griddle at the end of the day with a giant brick shaped abrasive (a bit smaller than a shoe box)....I'm gonna ask to get a closer look at that.

Im not excited about sandpaper (although i could imagine using it with a big block).
I think fine steel wool is good for real surface rust.

Ideally, one would have a surface grinder at ones disposal with a big enough table.

Re: Cleaning a rusty table saw top

My 85 year old uncle has a saw like yours. Yours look new. Good job.

Originally Posted by Mike Gillmore

This involved hours of elbow grease, but I think it was worth it. The top is smooth as silk now.

First I used PB Penetrating Fluid with 150 grit sandpaper to work out most of the rust, followed with PB and Scotch Brite Pads. After cleaning thoroughly with mineral spirits everything was coated with an aerosol dry lubricant, then buffed. Not bad for a 60 year old machine. Time to start making some more boxes.

Re: Cleaning a rusty table saw top

I have about 6 old table saws and the most effective way I found to remove rust was a die grinder with a scotchbrite pad. It dont take but a few minutes to clean it up smooth as silk.I set each one with a different Dado so I dont have to keep changing blades(I'm lazy and have plenty of space)

Re: Cleaning a rusty table saw top

Truly the best for a quick job but I use dry sandpaper and then paraffin the surface and rub off the excess with a scrap piece of wood. It doesn't hurt to wax the fence. The compound square I use double sided tape to stick sandpaper to so the board doesn't move on a cross cut.